Open questions about the former Emerald Champion

First, I’m having a ton of fun playing L5R. It’s the first RPG I’ve participated in where I find myself looking for podcasts that are of people playing the game, and the first time I’ve read and researched additional materials such as Miyamoto Musashi’s Book of Five Rings written in 17th century Japan.

My character Matsu Tezuka of the Lion clan and her fellow compatriots have set out on a quest to inquire with the various heads of state who killed, or at least has intimate knowledge of, Doji Satsumi’s death. Satsumi has approached us in ghost form late one evening giving us no hints but asking that we do not reveal that any Doji family member was involved in his demise.

So that’s weird. First off, we have no way to authenticate this was in fact Satsumi’s undead figure talking to us. This perhaps isn’t a problem except for the fact that what the ghost told us to do is well, quite un-samurai like and violates some pretty serious bushido code. How could such a high ranking and honorable and dutiful official ask us, this random assortment of high class samurai of varying clans, to essentially lie? Of course we are only lying if and when we do find out it was a Doji, but it would seem that for Satsumi to specifically ask that we do not reveal there’s a non-zero chance it was in fact a Doji. Or a Doji was framed. Also, why not tell us how he died? Certainly would help accelerate the investigation as all we would have to do is connect the dots. Instead we are left to either assume he didn’t tell us because he didn’t know or didn’t want to admit what it was and the death happened as a surprise to even him, like a heart attack or stroke or drug overdose. Not a glorious way to go for the Emerald Champion (and also not that interesting for the L5R game system to use). Something tells me that he didn’t want to say because it was murder (he lost) and it was a Doji challenger. Regardless we are led to believe it wasn’t poison by the deputy who assured us after a sort of post-morteum there were no signs of toxins in his blood. Mmmm-k.

So why as a ghost would Doji Satsumi, care? He’s dead its not like if the Doji lose face he doesn’t eat, or sleep or do things that living creatures do. Isn’t it possible this apparition was generated by some black magic, with the intent of stirring up controversy at the top? Who or what would be motived to do such a thing? Something south of the wall, well practiced in dark magic perhaps, which we did encounter a fraction of a short time after our encounter with ex-Satsumi. Or perhaps another clan is cavorting with the darkside orchestrating a cover-up. A ghost generator who didn’t know how Satsumi actually died, would be taking a risk and blowing their cover by saying so or displaying something to indicate a cause of death. But if I was a ghost, and was asking these millennial samurai to investigate how I died, I’d be inclined to give some sort of hint or evidence as to how, because I want them to be successful.

Perhaps the ghost told us this so that we would not investigate a path that included Doji, which is the point I was making the other night. If we know we aren’t supposed to blame the Doji, and people will believe our investigation was honorable, and the Emperor on down likely wants the matter closed sooner than later what’s to prevent us from doing very little investigation and blaming a servant?

Bushido that’s what. Let’s keep our Honor points, we’re better than that. I’m willing to entertain, although it is now impossible to prove, that the ghost we had visit us was an imposter. A villain intent on sowing chaos by pitting us against each other.

Is it dishonorable to ignore the instructions of the former Emerald Champion? Who could know if we did and what would their reaction be?

“Be acutely honest throughout your dealings with all people. Believe in justice, not from other people, but from yourself. A true samurai knows in their heart that there are no shades of grey in the question of honesty and justice. There is only right and wrong.”

The code of Bushido, L5R 5th edition rulebook